SAN FRANCISCO / Schools chief is considering retirement / Conflicts with some board members worsening, she says

sfschools29_071_db.jpg
San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Arlene Ackerman gives her annual "state of the schools address," as other dignitaries attend the program at Tenderloin Community School.
10/28/04 in San Francisco
Darryl Bush / The Chronicle Superintendent Arlene Ackerman is supported by a 4-3 majority on the deeply divided school board. Ran on: 11-12-2004
Superinten- dent Arlene Ackerman is supported by a 4-3 majority on the deeply divided school board. Ran on: 11-12-2004
Superinten- dent Arlene Ackerman is supported by a 4-3 majority on the deeply divided school board. Ran on: 11-13-2004
Arlene Ackerman, schools super- intendent, also got $800 a month more in housing allowance. Ran on: 01-21-2005
Arlene Ackerman Ran on: 01-21-2005
Arlene Ackerman Ran on: 04-15-2005
Schools chief Arlene Ackerman says she's just trying to get along with a contentious school board.
ALSO RAN: 05/09/2005
S.F. schools chief Arlene Ackerman ordered training on reporting crimes.
ALSO RAN: 06/23/2005 Arlene Ackerman MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG AND SF CHRONICLE/ -MAGS OUT less

sfschools29_071_db.jpg
San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Arlene Ackerman gives her annual "state of the schools address," as other dignitaries attend the program at Tenderloin Community ... more

Photo: Darryl Bush

Photo: Darryl Bush

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sfschools29_071_db.jpg
San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Arlene Ackerman gives her annual "state of the schools address," as other dignitaries attend the program at Tenderloin Community School.
10/28/04 in San Francisco
Darryl Bush / The Chronicle Superintendent Arlene Ackerman is supported by a 4-3 majority on the deeply divided school board. Ran on: 11-12-2004
Superinten- dent Arlene Ackerman is supported by a 4-3 majority on the deeply divided school board. Ran on: 11-12-2004
Superinten- dent Arlene Ackerman is supported by a 4-3 majority on the deeply divided school board. Ran on: 11-13-2004
Arlene Ackerman, schools super- intendent, also got $800 a month more in housing allowance. Ran on: 01-21-2005
Arlene Ackerman Ran on: 01-21-2005
Arlene Ackerman Ran on: 04-15-2005
Schools chief Arlene Ackerman says she's just trying to get along with a contentious school board.
ALSO RAN: 05/09/2005
S.F. schools chief Arlene Ackerman ordered training on reporting crimes.
ALSO RAN: 06/23/2005 Arlene Ackerman MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG AND SF CHRONICLE/ -MAGS OUT less

sfschools29_071_db.jpg
San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Arlene Ackerman gives her annual "state of the schools address," as other dignitaries attend the program at Tenderloin Community ... more

Photo: Darryl Bush

SAN FRANCISCO / Schools chief is considering retirement / Conflicts with some board members worsening, she says

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San Francisco schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman said Tuesday that her rocky relationship with some members of the Board of Education had deteriorated even further and that the attacks had grown so personal that she was weighing the possibility of retiring within a year.

In recent weeks, she has been sued by allies of the board members over her recent salary increase and was the subject of an unflattering cover story in an alternative weekly newspaper that endorsed two of the board members for re-election in November.

"It makes me feel badly that it's gotten so personal," she said in an interview with The Chronicle. "People say ignore it, but it's hard to ignore the frontal and back and sideways attacks."

Ackerman said she was strongly considering retiring within the next academic year, despite having a contract good through 2008. Her contract would allow her to depart with $375,000 if she determines her relationship with the board is unworkable, though she said the money wasn't her driving motivation. She makes $250,000 annually. "I'm trying to evaluate how much more I can get done in this very embattled (situation)," she said. "I don't want to see the district suffer because the board and I can't come together. If me stepping aside would allow this district to accelerate my progress, then I am preparing myself mentally and emotionally to do that."

Ackerman has frequently clashed with Board of Education Commissioners Sarah Lipson, Eric Mar and Mark Sanchez, who say her leadership style is top- down and that she doesn't listen to parents and teachers when making her decisions. They have also clashed with her over policy issues, including her support of standardized testing.

Lipson, Mar and Sanchez are three of seven board members. Commissioners Eddie Chin, Dan Kelly and Jill Wynns support Ackerman, while the newest member, Norman Yee, is a swing vote between the factions.

Former Supervisor Matt Gonzalez and his new law partner, Whitney Leigh, who are members of the local Green Party and allies of Green Party members Lipson and Sanchez and liberal Democrat Eric Mar, sued Ackerman last month over her contract increase last November. Their suit says the special meeting of the school board to raise her salary was illegal.

During her interview Tuesday, Ackerman said an outside lawyer that she hired to represent her would cost the district more than her raise.

A local paper that has endorsed Lipson, Mar and Sanchez in their campaigns also recently ran a lengthy story saying Ackerman was having a "meltdown."

Lipson agreed that her relationship with Ackerman was deteriorating but blamed it on the superintendent, saying Ackerman had canceled their monthly meetings. Mar and Sanchez didn't return calls Tuesday.

"We had a relationship where we were able to meet monthly, and even if we disagreed, we were able to disagree respectfully," Lipson said. "She's no longer keeping those meetings with me."

Lipson added that Ackerman hadn't been unfairly attacked.

"When you're in this job, you're always going to have people who disagree with you," Lipson said. "Like her, we (commissioners) get attacked often. As long as you keep doing what you think is right, you can look beyond those attacks."